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Sermon #1161

The Spirit of Your Mind

A Sermon on John 4:13-14

Originally preached Jan. 29, 1967

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Scripture

John 4:13-14 ESV KJV
Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” …

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Sermon Description

What is the ultimate experience in this life? Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains in this sermon from John 4:13–14 titled “The Spirit of Your Mind” that to know and love God is the highest end in life, and it is the only way of salvation from sin and condemnation. However, the presence of sin keeps humanity from knowing God and his gospel. It stops all from believing in Jesus Christ. It is only by regeneration that fallen men and women can be granted eyes of faith that are able to properly see God, and only by receiving a new nature can they truly know God. This creates an antithesis between fallen sinners who remain slaves to their sinful nature, and those who have been given a new nature by their union with Christ. In brief, Christians seek what is good, holy, and pure as a pattern of life. This desire for righteousness is not dead religion, but new life in Jesus Christ. Those in Christ can fight against sin and temptation, not because they are holy in themselves, but because they are empowered by the Holy Spirit to have victory over sin’s power and influence. Christians can have hope in eventual glorification because Christ has risen from the dead and given them the gift of salvation.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. Jesus offers living water that becomes a well within us springing up into eternal life. This is the gift of God given through Jesus.
  2. This living water produces a radical change in our lives. It changes our entire personality - our mind, heart, and will.
  3. It gives us a new mind and understanding. We now know the truth about Jesus, ourselves, sin, salvation, and more. We see the inevitability of these truths.
  4. Our hearts are now engaged with these truths. We feel and are moved by them. We rejoice in them. They are not grievous to us.
  5. Our wills are now free and we desire to obey God. We are no longer in bondage to sin. We want to please God and show our gratitude to Him.
  6. This change is a profound and radical one. It gives us a new disposition that governs all of our faculties.
  7. We must examine ourselves to see if this change has taken place in us. Do we have this living water producing new life within us?
  8. There are degrees of maturity in the Christian life but this radical change must be present for us to be Christians at all.
  9. Christianity is experimental - it is something we know and experience. It is not just theoretical.
  10. This life in us is always closely associated with Jesus Himself. He is the gift of God and the one who gives us this living water.
  11. This life manifests itself in our entire personality - our mind, heart, and will. There is a profound change in each area.
  12. In our minds, we now know the truth and see its inevitability. We have the mind of Christ.
  13. In our hearts, our feelings and emotions are now engaged with these truths. We feel their wonder, beauty, and power.
  14. In our wills, we now desire to obey God. We are free from the bondage of sin and want to please Him.

Sermon Q&A

The Radical Change of Becoming a Christian According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

What is the central message of John 4:10-14 according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the central message of John 4:10-14 is that Christianity is not merely a theoretical concept or philosophy but a transformative life that Jesus offers. He explains that Jesus shows the woman of Samaria (and all of us) that "her trouble in life, as it is indeed the trouble with all others in life, is the failure to realize who he is and what he has to give." The passage offers living water which, when received, "shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." This represents the gift of God—a new spiritual life that transforms a person from within.

What are the two general characteristics of Christian life that Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies two general characteristics of the Christian life:

  1. It is experimental (experiential) - Christianity is "something that you know, that you have, something that you experience. It isn't something theoretical. It isn't merely adherence to a philosophy or a point of view." It is a real life that produces tangible effects within a person.

  2. It is always closely associated with Christ himself - The life is intimately connected to the person of Jesus Christ. Lloyd-Jones notes that this "differentiates it from various false kinds of mysticism and from the various cults" that offer help in life's battles.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the radical nature of the change that occurs in Christian conversion?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes the change as utterly radical and profound, not superficial. He uses multiple biblical terms to illustrate this:

  • Regeneration: "We are generated anew and afresh"
  • Rebirth: "You must be born again" (John 3)
  • New creation: "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature" (2 Corinthians 5:17)
  • Death and resurrection: Being "crucified with Christ" and rising with Him
  • Complete contrast: "Ye were, ye are" - a stark difference between past and present
  • A change from "flesh" to "spirit"
  • Receiving "a new heart" - a change at the very center of personality

He summarizes it as a change of "disposition" - the fundamental control center of a person's being is completely transformed.

What three aspects of personality does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say are changed by Christian conversion?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies three aspects of personality that are radically changed in Christian conversion:

  1. The mind/understanding: Christians have "a profound change in the mind, in understanding, different outlook." They see truth differently, have new intellectual priorities, and "have the mind of Christ." They no longer reject spiritual truth but embrace it.

  2. The heart/emotions: The Christian's "feelings are bound to be engaged." Unlike formal religion that is performed as duty, true Christianity includes joy, gratitude, and emotional response to God's grace. Lloyd-Jones states, "unless a man has been moved emotionally by these things, he's not a Christian."

  3. The will: The Christian's will is set free from bondage to sin. The person doesn't obey God reluctantly but desires to please Him. "He doesn't live the Christian life reluctantly. He doesn't object to the commandments." Instead, there's a new willingness and desire to follow God.

How can someone know if they're truly a Christian according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, you can know if you're truly a Christian by examining:

  1. Your attitude toward spiritual truth: If you're drawn to spiritual truth rather than resisting it, this indicates conversion. He often counsels people questioning their salvation by asking, "Why are you concerned about this?" The very concern shows a spiritual mind unlike the world.

  2. Your emotional response: True Christians are "moved by the truth" and find God's commandments "not grievous." There should be joy, gratitude, and emotional engagement with spiritual realities.

  3. Your desires and willingness: Christians have a genuine desire to obey God, not out of duty but out of love and gratitude.

  4. Your fundamental orientation: "Which side are you on this morning? What's your prejudice? Are you prejudiced against this, or are you prejudiced in its favor?" The Christian's entire disposition has changed from opposition to embracing God's truth.

Lloyd-Jones notes that while Christians may not perfectly exhibit these qualities, the essential change should be evident: "Are we able to say that on the whole, as a whole, this is true of us?"

The Book of John

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.